Law In Context: Children's Rights and the Developing Law, 3rd Edition

Following the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998, awareness has increased that we live in a rights-based culture and that children constitute an important group of rights holders. Now in its 3rd edition, Children's Rights and the Developing Law explores the way developing law and policies in England and Wales are simultaneously promoting and undermining the rights of children. It reflects on how far these developments take account of children’s interests, using current research on children’s needs as a template against which to assess their effectiveness and considering a broad range of topics, including medical law, education and youth justice. A critical approach is maintained throughout, particularly when assessing the extent to which the concept of children’s rights is being acknowledged by the courts and policy makers and the degree to which the UK fulfils its obligations under, for example, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• Assesses current research on children’s needs and measures the effectiveness of law and policy against that research, allowing readers from a variety of disciplines to update themselves on a broad range of important research projects relevant to the field of childhood • Critically assesses relevant laws and policies, provoking a reappraisal of preconceptions about the law’s place in family life • Self-contained bibliographies at the end of each chapter give suggestions for further research